Flashlight holder



March 9, 1948. BERNSTEm 2,437,373

FLASHLIGHT HOLDER Filed Sept. 4, 1942 INVENTOR. fan 4R0 4. BER/v5 TE/N "m w 4. Mb

ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 9, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLASHLIGHTVHOLDER 7 Edward A. Bernstein, Cedarhurst, N. Y. 7 Application September 4, 1942, Serial No. 457,269

dciaims. 1

My invention relates flashlight holder.

The improved device is particularly adapted for use with flashlight bulbs which are used for take ing flashlight photographs. Aiter a bulb of this type has been used, it is hot so that it is'difllcult to use such devices, if it is desired to take a series of photographs in quick succession. According to my invention,'the used bulb can be conveniently ejected from the holder, and withouthandling said used bulb. r

Another object of my invention is to provide a device which may be applied as an attachment to existing devices. 7

Another object of my invention is to provide a device which will use a minimum of metal parts. Other objects of the invention will be stated in the annexeddescription and drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment'thereoi.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view on the line l-l of Fig. 3, showing a portion of the flashlight bulb.

Fig. 2 i a vertical elevation, taken at the righthand side of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3. is a top plan view of the device, the representation of the bulb being omitted.

Fig. 4 is an elevation; partially in section, showing the principal element of the improved device. Fig. is a sectional vieW-onthe line 5-5 of Fig. 2, showing. the latch member in itsrelease position, as distinguishedrfrom the operative posi- 'tion of said latch member. which'is shown in Figs. 1-3 inclusive. f

The invention is shown in the formof an attachment which may be applied to any conventional flashlight casingn Many of the details of the conventional flashlight casing are therefore not shown; as they are well-known per se. The flashlight casing I has a wall of insulating material and it is provided with the usual switch 2, which has the usual finger-operated button 2a,

which is moved to open or to close the circuit of the bulb. I I

The socket inwhich the flashlight bulb B is received consists of a base or inner part 5, which is integral with an outer cup member 3. This to a new and improved 2 strip. is located within the cup member I. I Said cup member 3 is 0!. greater external diameter than the base 5, thus forming a shoulder in. The metal contact strip 6 .is integral with a metal extension 4 which extends through a narrow bore in the shoulder 5a. The extension 4 abuts the outer wall of the base 5. The strip 6 and its extension 4 constitute a single metal strip which has an outer end-part above shoulder Ila and which is located laterally inwardly oi thesocket 3-5, and said single metal strip has an inner end-part below shoulder 5a which is external to said socket I--5. The'shell 28 is designated as a casing-contact-member, which contacts with said inner end-part. The strip 6 and the extension 4 are preferably of uniform width. The contact metal strip 8 is held in position by means of a force fit in the bore of the shoulder 5a, or in any suitable manner. 'A housing I l, which can be made of metal or of any other material, conducting or non-conducting, is fixed to the cup mom her 3, so that said housing H extends laterally from said cup member 3. A compression spring 7 2| is located in the housing I l. The lateral outer end of the compression spring 2| abuts the inner face of the lateral outer wall of the lateral housing H. The inner lateral end of the compres sion spring 2| abuts the head 20a of a latch I 4,

which can move laterally back and forth in a suitable opening which is provided in the wall of the cup member 3. The compression spring 2| normally holds the latch member It in the holding position which is shown in Fig.1. A lever S,

which can be made of insulating material or of any other material, is turnably connected to the wall of the cup member 3, by means of the pivot pin in. The shank 20 of the head 20a extends through a bore of the lever 9. Said shank 20 has an outer head l2. This head 12 can be fixed t0 the outer end of the shank 20, after said shank has been passed through the bore of the lever 9.

when the lever 8 is turned to the position shown in Fig. 5, the latch member I8. ismoved to the release or inoperative position which is shown socket 3-5 is made of any suitable insulating material- In this'palrticular' embodiment. the base 5 has its outer'longitudinal wall shaped to provide a helical thread which has'alongitudinal' axis, in order to adapt the attachment to a flashlight casing which has a helically threaded metal 3 6, which is designated as a contact strip or circuit in Fig. 5. A metal conducting wall-pin 25a is fixed to the lateral end wall of the base 5. One

end of the compression spring 1 is fixed. to said contact pin 25a in any suitable manner. A metal shell 26 is fixed to the inner wall of the casing l in the conventional manner. In this embodiment, said metal shell 26 is corrugated, in order to provide the conventional helical thread. Hence, in this embodiment the base 5 can-be screwed into the metal shell 26. The metal. extension strip 4 ,will then make good electrical contact with the metal shell 26. Fig. 1 diagrammatically shows one of the dry cells E which is used in flashlight devices. I have not illustrated the details whereby the circuit of the filament of the bulb B can be closed or opened by moving the button 2a of the switch 2, as such details are well-known per se.

The bulb B is provided with the usual metal shell S.-' T1'-lisshell or sleeve S has a longitudinal axis which is coincident with the longitudinal axis of the socket 3-5, when the bulb B is assembled with said socket. inserted into the cup member 3, as shown in Fig.

When the bulb B 4 described in the claims with reference to their relative vertical positions which are shown in Fig. 1, although the device can be used in any position.

I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is clear that numerous changes and omissions can be made without departing from its spirit.

- lclai 1'. An ejector socket for a flash-bulb of the type which has an external longitudinal metal sleeve and a contact pin which is located at the 1, a part of the outer longitudinal wall of said metal shell S abuts the metal contact strip E, in order to make good electrical contact. The

bulb B is also provided with thec'onventional.

metal central contact 25, which is insulated from the shell S. One end of the filament of the bulb B .is nected t th sh l-S, a d. the o h r nd oisoid fi ment is conn c d to he central tact 25- These conventional details are not illustrated in the drawings. In addition to providing good elect ical contac t e strip 4 tion lly to ret the base .5 in the flashlight casing, i f th e shell 26 is'of the smooth or un'corrusatedftyne. o The. latch member It is located between adjac' jant lateral corrugations or the shell S, when said. l tch mem er. 16 is n s p r t ve posit nl c longit d n ejector sp ng 1 s then un e longitudinal compression. It the lever 9 is then turned to the inoperative or release position shown in Fig. 5, the latch member Willbe moved to its inoperative or release position agains t e icrce or. the ompre sion spr lichoormelly m i t s e l ch me is. o erat e or ho d n p s o When the 'latehmember I6 is locatedin said inoperative pos tion, the longitudinal compression spring I icon eject the bu b B ong ud na y ro t e d vice with suitable gentle force by sliding said longituo nal shell S a the ongitudinal shank o bulb. 13 out of the socket 3-5, so that the bulb B can be ejected into a waste basket or other suitable receptacle, without breaking said bulb. The spring I electrically'connects the metal contact pin of bulb B to the metal pin 25a of the lateral end-wall 0i base 5. Said spring i is insulatcd irom the metal shell S. The bulb has insulating material of the conventional type, which extends below the metal shell S, and hro gh which th in 25 jec e outer of the sprin 1 abut this i sulating mate ial. so that the spring 1 doe not contact with. the m'etalshcll 8,. As hown in Fig. 1, the outer endvhart oi the metal strip 64 is smooth, and its inner end-part is shaped to interfit with the thread, of shell 26, so that the base 5 can be screwedinto the casing l. V

The me a s 11'2t i c nn ted to one or the terminals of the switch 2 in the usual manner, the other term n r. so d's 2 is onserves fric- 3., nette n the al ma n o the bottom, coninner end of said metal sleeve and which is insulated from said metal sleeve, said socket having a longitudinal wall and a lateral inner endwall, said socket having an inlet opening at one end thereof, said walls of said socket being made of insulating material, a longitudinal metal contact strip which has an outer end-part which is l ated lat rally inward y of sa socket adjacent said inlet opening, said contact strip extending through a bore or said longitudinal wall and having an inner end-part which isjlocated laterally utw ly or said longitudinal wall adjacent said inner end-wall, said outer end-part of said con tact strip being smooth to permit free longituditnal movement. of said metal sleeve relative to said socket,' said inner end-wall having a metal wall-pin, fixed theret a longitudinal ejector spring-which extends longitudinally from said innor end-wall towards said inlet openin said l r spring bei lo ated in saidsocketthe inner end of said ejector spring being fixed to s id W l-p nd lat h m a s asso atedw sa c so ket fo releasobly r nin albulb thereni a s the fo ce oi sa deiec spri e- 4 t 2. A holder for a hash bulb. o d flash bulb being of; the type which has an external metal sleeve which has a contact pin which is located at t e inner nd or sa met l slee sa d conta t Pin b n i su ated iron; said meta sle v sai metal sleeve having a longitudinal axis, said hold r ompri ing a l ngitudinal socket which is made of insulating material, sa d so ket h ving an. ine op ning at ts outer nd and a lateral inner nd-w ll which m de of insulating material. a l ng tudinal met l wa l-pin wh h is fixed t and, which xt nds throu h said. lat ral inner end-Wall, said so ket eing constructed and sh ped l osely and longitudinally to receive aid metal sleeve so that said metal sleevecan be jected f om said so ket by sliding said metal sleeve l ngitudinally out of, said sock t.v a etal ejec or sprin one end of said ejector spring being fixed to said wall pin, the other end of said ejector spring being located to abut said contact pinof saidbulb. a l ngitud nalmetal strip which has a outer end-part and an inncrend-parh said outer end-P rt be n catcd aterally inwardly of. the inner longitudinal wall of said socket, said outer end-part being. located to ontact. with saidmetal sleeve. of. .Said bulb longitudinally inwardly of said inlet openins,- s i inner end-part extendingv through th w ll of sa d socket andbeing lateral y rnal. o

said socket, a casing in which said socket is mounted, sa d casing being made. of insulating material! s i casing having a-casine conta tmember which contacts with said inner end-part,

said casing contact-member is sleeve-shaped and provided with a thread which has a longitudinal axis, said inner end-part has a corresponding thread, said socket has a lateral external shoulder between said inlet opening and said lateral inner end-wall, said shoulder having a bore through which said metal strip extends, said shoulder abutting an end-wall of said casing.

4. A holder according to claim 2, in which said latch-means are located externally to said 10 socket and said casing.

EDWARD A. BERNSTEIN.

REFERENCES CITED file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Russell Apr. 19, 1910 Benjamin Aug. 28, 1917 Scheel Dec. 9, 1919 Vogt Mar. 15, 1927 White Sept. 3, 1929 Fried Jan. 19, 1932 Propp Sept. 26, 1933 Rowe 1 Oct. 1, 1935 Schwartz Feb. 25, 1941 Kelman June 2, 1942 Nicholas Aug. 18, 1942 Mihalyi Jan. 12, 1943 

